So I've really lost track of days, can't remember when but I did have slight headache around the first week of keto. I wasn't sure if that was the symptoms of keto flu
Keto Flu (extracted from : https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/keto-flu-symptoms#what-it-is)
The keto flu is a collection of symptoms experienced by some people when they first start the keto diet.
These symptoms, which can feel similar to the flu, are caused by the body adapting to a new diet consisting of very little carbohydrates.
Reducing your carb intake forces your body to burn ketones for energy instead of glucose.
Ketones are byproducts of fat breakdown and become the main fuel source when following a ketogenic diet.
Normally, fat is reserved as a secondary fuel source to use when glucose is not available.
This switch to burning fat for energy is called ketosis. It occurs during specific circumstances, including starvation and fasting (1Trusted Source).
However, ketosis can also be reached by adopting a very low-carb diet.
In a ketogenic diet, carbohydrates are typically reduced to under 50 grams per day (2Trusted Source).
This drastic reduction can come as a shock to the body and may cause withdrawal-like symptoms, similar to those experienced when weaning off an addictive substance like caffeine.
Symptoms
Switching to a very low-carb diet is a major change, and your body may need time to adapt to this new way of eating.
For some people, this transition period can be especially difficult.
Signs of the keto flu may start popping up within the first few days of cutting back on carbs.
Symptoms can range from mild to severe and vary from person to person.
While some people may transition to a ketogenic diet without any side effects, others may experience one or more of the following symptoms (4Trusted Source):
Nausea
Vomiting
Constipation
Diarrhea
Headache
Irritability
Weakness
Muscle cramps
Dizziness
Poor concentration
Stomach pain
Muscle soreness
Difficulty sleeping
Sugar cravings
These symptoms are commonly reported by those who have just begun the ketogenic diet and can be distressing.
Symptoms typically last about a week, though some people may experience them for a longer period of time.
While these side effects may cause some dieters to throw in the towel, there are ways to reduce them.
So you see, there seems to be a long list of symptoms one might get but I didn't. Was surprised that mine was so manageable.
Nausea? - Nope
Vomiting? - Nope
Constipation? - Nope. I was still able to poo twice a day. I'm so full of shit.
Diarrhea? - Absolutely no
Headache - Yes. Slight headache, I kindda slept it off without any medication or essential oil
Irritability? - Nope. If I was, it was due to the girls not keto flu
Weakness? - On the contrary no. On Day 4, I went for my Fight Do class and I was so full of energy like I can punch and kick a whole gang of people.
Muscle cramps - Probably like in Week 3 or 4? I had leg cramps twice. So wasn't sure if it was the lack of electrolytes.
Dizziness? - No
Poor concentration? - definitely no. More alert than ever. Within a week, I felt so much younger and alive
Stomach pain? - No
Muscle soreness - No
Difficulty sleeping - No
Sugar cravings - No. I love chocolates but somehow I knew I can't eat so didn'tt think much of it.
Not sure why, maybe I have been using alot of seasalt and pink himalayan salt in my seasoning? So far I'm already into my 46th day and I've had headache another 3 more times?
The first one was when we were at Paradise Dynasty. Staff told me no sugar but after a while I had a slight headache. I asked another staff and she told me there's sugar in it. By then I had already whacked 2 plates of pork belly (around 12 pieces?)
The second and third time was also due to accidental sugar found in food. It's quite difficult when one is outside and on the average I have outside food like 2-3x per week.
The last headache I had was yesterday - 21st April - and this headache was even more painful that I needed to do a lavender and peppermint eo blend and applied on my temples and forehead. Somehow the lavender oil on my wrists made me more sleepy and slept off the pain. Coindidently, my ketone has dropped gradually over the days too! Think coz' I had cheated? On ketoeatosg burbur cha cha and pastries? My ketone, glucose and GKI reading was 0.7mmol/L, 4.6mmol/L, 6.57 (low level of ketosis). My weight remained stagnant and once even went up!! Argh!
extracted from: https://www.healthline.com/health/headache/sugar-headache#sugar-hangover
Can you get a “sugar hangover”?
Eating a lot of sugar in a short amount of time may cause rapid changes to your blood glucose levels. That can lead to symptoms that some people describe as a “sugar hangover,” including:
headache
nausea or upset stomach
difficulty focusing
shakiness
tiredness or lightheadedness
mood swings
If you’ve eaten too much sugar:
try hydrating with water or another sugar-free drink
focus on eating whole foods without added sugar, such as nuts, eggs, or other foods rich in protein
engage in low-impact exercise, like walking, swimming, or yoga, to help get your blood flowing
In conclusion for the above, I need to increase my exercise per week. I can't possibly just have that one can die Fight Do class.
And I need to do some explanation for my stagnant weight and increase in one day. It's possibly due to my "stealing a bite to stealing a few bites of sweets". No wonder the 师父s in the FB group I am in says not to consume bakeries for the first 3 - 6 months of starting keto. I've already consumed how many within a month?! Oops! No more ketoeatosg. No choice lah! Coz' I either ordered the bak chor mee or the dry mee siam to try and decided to try the desserts too. Have to make full use of the $8 delivery charge right?
Jacq says : When we don’t consume any carb or sugar, we don’t have to worry much abt the spike of Blood Glucose. But what about insulin? Once we consume food, the insulin will go up a bit.... without any carb or sugar, the insulin will still get spiked if we consume any sweet thing - which include sweetener and bakery.... there once a senior rejected my post because I broke fast with my keto cheesecake with Bulletproof tea... I didn’t understand why and she wasn’t able to explain to me too... now I understand why and hence I’m sharing to all of you 🙂
In another post of hers
Here’s a short video by my k-pop (ketopop) star Dr Ken Berry on “how to stop overeating”. These 10 amazing ways will help you stop overeating eventually and keep your craving at the bay.
Here’s a brief summary:
1. Stop eating sugar or sweet stuff.
2. Stop eating carb, whole grain.
3. Stop snacking in between.
4. Stop baked good. (Including keto bakery)
5. Stop all sweetener.
6. Honour your sleep - make sure you have enough sleep.
7. Learn to control your stress - cortisol hormone.
8. Eating healthy fat.
9. Eating more protein.
10. Eat until you full - no undereating.
Word of advice from her
STAY AWAY FROM KETO BAKERY in your beginning stage.
(generally speaking, first 3 months)
My dear Ketoians who just embark or restart this Keto Journey,
Although some of us always made Keto Bread, Keto Caka, Keto Cookies and Keto Ice Cream, we always Always ALWAYS discourage those who just started their keto journey to have bakery at the beginning stage.
Why? Why like that? Why we can eat and you cannot? Why we so cruel?
Allow me some time to explain it to you.
Keto Diet aims to curb our craving for carb and sugar. At the beginning stage, we always crave for the food that is missing in our diet, which is carb and sugar.
I remember I was doing fine in my first week (because I have been on low carb before), but my second week was a pure nightmare! I keep thinking of going down to the bakery shop to buy roti, red bean roti somemore. I even dreamt of eating cake, brownies, cookies, CNY goodies in my sleep. When I woke up, I crazily search online, Facebook, Carousell to see where and whether anyone selling homemade keto bakery. (I still have all the proof in my carousell). So, I understand ! I really really understand the STRUGGLE! and the funny thing is, I actually didn't like to eat all these before Keto. I was just a carb queen back in the days, but not into sweet stuff. But my mind went crazy loh....
Well, I didn't give in (mostly also because I can't find anything online...lol).... So, I bite the bullet very very tight and control myself for that few days... Slowly going into week 3....Just like magic... one day, I woke up and start craving for the chicken, fish, duck.... and amazingly, I do not have craving for rice, noodle, hor fun, cake or bread anymore...
So, if you keep falling back to have Keto bakery (even it is just almond flour, coconut flour or lakando) you never really kill off your cravings for “bread, pastry and ice cream”. In fact, Vivi Goh and me stayed away from keto bakery as long as we can when we first started in 2019.
When you can keep your craving in check and have good self control over your cravings, that’s the time you can start to have some keto bakery. To be honest, until now, I’m still very “vigilant” about my “cravings”. Once I start craving for keto cookie or ice cream, my “flood gate” may open for that one spur of moment. Happened a few times. And I have to pull myself away as far as I can from all the cookies/cakes and did long fasting to get myself back into ketosis mode.
I’m sharing all these because we really don’t want to see some beginners starting off with keto bakery and struggle more... and worst, do not see any result... You will suffer more if you can't kill off your cravings at the beginning stage.
And trust me, you will enjoy even more when you experience "Keto High" 😀 The "euphoric" stage when you are fat-adapted or purely running your body on ketone. I was singing all the way while I was driving to Malaysia for a good 3 to 4 hours. lol! (Last time, I must rest in between to have a break, but now as long as I have enough drinks/water in my car and maybe a small container of almonds, I can drive for 5 or 6 hours without feeling tired. 😆 the magic of ketone)
Hope this helps most of you to understand the reasons behind we tell you "No Bakery for first 3 months". (can be longer than 3 months... depends on how much you want yourself to be fat-adapted.)
Another member posted this
Lakanto can also coz insulin spike. Excess insulin will coz storage of excess fat/carb in our body if we did not burned off.
So best to avoid first.
Double whammy for me huh? I've learnt my lesson. Sugar has not only caused me to get headaches but if I were to introduced sweeteners early and excessively, it might cause a jeopardy to my efforts in trying to lose weight. Ok..... so I've ordered my Lily chocolates from US, I will need better discipline to not eat. And better still, not post it in FB my purchases lest I get verbal preachings from the strict keto-nians.
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